JAKARTA - Indonesia's academic world has again made a proud achievement. Dr. Edwin Hadinata, Sp.PD, lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, Ciputra University, and a specialist in internal diseases.
Dr. Edwin managed to win the 1st place at The 8th Jakarta Nephrology Meeting (JNM) 2026 through innovative research that revealed how exposure to two food mycotoxins, Ochratoxin A (OTA) and Citrinin, can aggravate Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD) or kidney disease due to diabetes.
The research was considered one of the best scientific works in the national nephrology forum which brought together kidney experts, researchers, and academics from various institutions in Indonesia.
The research entitled "Integrated Toxicometabolomics and Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals Ferroptosis-Driven Renal Injury Induced by Ochratoxin A and Citrinin Co-Exposure in Experimental Diabetic Kidney Disease" integrates in silico, in vitro, UHPLC-Orbitrap HRMS-based metabolomics approaches, as well as in vivo models to uncover the molecular mechanisms of how OTA and Citrinin exposure accelerates kidney damage in diabetic conditions.
This research is the result of a scientific collaboration guided by experts in the fields of nephrology, internal medicine, and biomedicine, namely dr. Iri Kuswadi, Sp.PD-KGH, FINASIM, Dr. dr. Metalia Puspitasari, M.Sc., Sp.PD-KGH, Prof. dr. Dante Saksono Harbuwono, Sp.PD, Subsp.End.(K), Ph.D., as well as Fahrul Nurkolis, S.Si., M.Biomed.
The results of the study showed that simultaneous exposure to OTA and Citrinin aggravated diabetic kidney injury through disruption of the system xc⁻-GSH-GPX4 pathway that triggers ferroptosis, a mechanism of cell death due to lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress.
The findings provide a new perspective that environmental factors, especially food contaminants, may play a role in accelerating the progression of kidney disease in people with diabetes.
According to the research team, these results not only open up the possibility of developing therapies that target the ferroptosis pathway, but also emphasize the importance of the prevention aspect through controlling mycotoxin exposure in the food chain.
The World Health Organization (WHO) explains that Ochratoxin A is a mycotoxin that is widely found in coffee, cereals and their processed products, wheat, corn, rice, spices, cocoa, dried fruit (such as raisins), grapes, wine, and some food products stored in humid conditions.
Meanwhile, citrinin is widely reported to be found in rice, cereals, Monascus-based fermented products (angkak), nuts, spices, and several other food products that are contaminated with fungi during storage.
Based on these findings, the research team assessed that Indonesia needs a national-scale epidemiological study to find out the extent of exposure to OTA and Citrinin in the Indonesian community, especially because foods such as rice, coffee, corn, wheat, cereals, spices, and their derivatives are part of daily consumption.
The epidemiological data are considered important for developing food safety strategies, exposure monitoring, and more comprehensive efforts to prevent chronic kidney disease.
Appreciation from the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Ciputra University
Responding to this achievement, Prof. Dr. Hendy Hendarto, Sp.OG, Subsp. FER, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Ciputra University, conveyed high appreciation for the achievements.
"We congratulate Dr. Edwin Hadinata, Sp.PD for this very proud achievement. This achievement reflects the commitment of the Faculty of Medicine of Ciputra University in building a superior academic culture, encouraging research innovation, and producing scientific works that make a real contribution to the advancement of medical science and public health," said Prof. Hendy.
The research has strategic value because it raises issues that are increasingly relevant in global health.
"This study shows that environmental factors, including exposure to mycotoxins from food, need to be considered as one of the factors that can affect the course of kidney disease due to diabetes. The multidisciplinary approach used shows excellent research quality and has the potential to become a foundation for further research and development of prevention and therapy strategies in the future. We hope that this achievement will be an inspiration for academicians to continue to produce innovative, collaborative, and impactful research for the community," he explained.
This success further reinforces the commitment of the Faculty of Medicine of Ciputra University in encouraging translational research that is able to bridge basic science with clinical applications, as well as strengthening Indonesia's contribution to the development of nephrology, food safety, and public health at the international level.
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